Some musicians serve as an inspiration to their contemporaries and fans, and some serve as a warning against the consequences of fame. Elvis Presley was a bit of both. From his first hit singles in the late 1950s to his ascent to the throne as the King of Rock and Roll, Presley influenced countless musicians who would go on to become tremendous stars in their own rights, from the Beatles to Tom Petty to Bruce Springsteen.
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People saw what they wanted to be in Elvis: a handsome, confident, and charming rockstar. As Presley’s career began to wane and his substance abuse and health began to worsen, people also saw what they feared they could be. That included a country star who felt a kindred connection to Presley, who was a fellow Southern boy who “made it big.”
This Country Legend Imagined He Would End Up Like Elvis Presley
Tragedy bookended Elvis Presley’s life. Born the twin to a stillborn older brother, Presley’s earliest years in Tupelo, Mississippi, were notably unstable and marked with poverty, with his parents often relying on the charity of neighbors and government assistance to get by. To then become one of the most successful and influential rock stars of all time was no small feat. Sadly, Elvis’ star plummeted as quickly as it had ascended in the late 1950s. By the late 1970s, Presley’s health was in poor condition, his popularity had waned, and he ultimately died in the bathroom of his Memphis, Tennessee, estate on August 16, 1977. It was a humble end to an extraordinary life.
For country legend and prolific studio player Glen Campbell, Elvis Presley’s rise and fall served as a close-to-home warning. During a 1999 interview with The Evening Standard, Campbell mused that he would consider himself lucky if he didn’t believe that “luck is something you get from Satan.” He continued, “I could have gone the same way as Elvis. He was a real soulmate. We were both born dirt poor, and we made it to the heights.”
Indeed, Campbell and Presley did share a similar background. Campbell was born a few hundred miles west of Presley in Billstown, Arkansas, in 1936. He was the seventh of 12 siblings and spent much of his childhood picking cotton to earn extra income for the family, who lived on a farm with no electricity and little money to show from their corn, cotton, watermelon, and potato crops. Both men honed their love of music in their late teens. While Presley cut his teeth in Memphis, Campbell moved to Los Angeles to become a session player.
A Pair Of Kindred Spirits With Two Very Different Endings
Elvis Presley had already established his musical career by the time Glen Campbell made it to the West Coast to start contributing guitar parts as a member of the famed Wrecking Crew. Campbell’s studio work eventually led to him crossing paths with Presley when Campbell was hired to play on the 1964 Viva Las Vegas soundtrack. With a shared raunchy sense of humor and similar upbringing, Campbell and Presley had instant chemistry. The “Wichita Lineman” singer once joked, “Elvis and I were brought up the same humble way: picking cotton and looking at the north end of a south-bound mule.”
Like Presley, Campbell soon fell victim to the seedier sides of fame: substance abuse, reckless behavior that served as tabloid fodder, and tumultuous relationships. In hindsight, it really is a wonder that the country crooner behind “Gentle On My Mind” didn’t end up in the same unfortunate blue suede shoes as Presley. As fate would have it, Campbell managed to get sober (with a brief, highly publicized relapse in 2003) in his later years. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease eight years later in 2011 and died at a long-term care and treatment facility on August 8, 2017—just eight days before the 40th anniversary of Presley’s death.
Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images
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